Roadway machine



Jam., i149 E936, M. D. BOWEN 29%?,629 r ROADWAY MACHINE Filed March 5,1934 4 Shets-Sheet l u Il r Jam M, E936., M. D. BOWEN M7962 ROADWAYMACHI NE Filed Maron s, 1934 '4 sheets-sheet 2 I N N5 @2 13 w Nmfanc; IWww@ DN? m", N

Umm ML, N336 M D BOWEN Zgg@ ROADWAY MACHI NE Filed March 3, 1954 -4sheets-sheet 5 Elfen@ M. D. BOWEN y ROADWAY MACHIN Filed March s, 1934'4 sheets-sheet 4 Innfenm n, w hun .211m l v Patented Jan. 14, 1936UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 10 Claims.

This-invention relates to maintenance of way equipment for railroads andhas for its principal object to provide a carriage for variousmechanical, electrical, or other apparatus that will travel along thetrack, convenient to the Work being done, and readily roll off to cleartrains without upsetting or disturbing any of the apparatus carried. Thecarriages will take various forms according to the apparatus to becarried, which includes motor generator apparatus for welding, grindingmachines, rail drills, spike drivers, spike pullers, bolt tighteners,rail joint oilers, ballast tamping machines, etc., some of which arerelatively light, while others are very heavy.

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a roadway machine embodying theinvention, and including all Vthe necessary equipment for doing weldingalong the track;

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal Vertical section taken through the axis of themachine shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a transverse section taken on the line 3 3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is an end elevation on a smaller scale, illustrating in a generalway the movement of the machine in rolling away from the track to cleara train;

Fig. 5 is a perspective view similar to Fig. 1, but illustrating alighter form of carriage suitable for much of the apparatus needed bythe track crews, and

Fig. 6 is a diagrammatic View illustrating a modication of the formshown in Fig. 1, to avoid distortion where rolling the frame 01T bypower involves a considerable strain.

These illustrations and the corresponding description are used for thepurpose of disclosure only, and it will be obvious that the gist of theinvention Vmay be embodied in various other forms.

The main frame of the carriage, or machine, includes siX channel-shapedside pieces I, welded to spaced end frames, not unlike wheels, each ofwhich includes a channel Il bent and welded to form a circular rim whichis connected by Vsix channel-shaped spokes I2 welded at their outer endsto the rim and at their inner ends `to a tube I3 and two plates I4,which form a sort of hub. f

This frame is ordinarily borne on two anged wheels I5, journaled inbearings l 6, fixed to angle pieces I1, bolted to short channels i8,welded be- ,tween two adjacent side pieces l0 that run along the bottomof the frame.

A short angle I9 is Welded to the rim of each end frame andto a shortpiece of tubing 20, which forms a socket to receive a tubular guide arm2l on which is journaled a guide Wheel or roller 22. Each guide arm hasa hole 23 to receive a spring pressed pin 24, for making the guide armfast in operative position and permitting it to be readily released toplace it on the opposite side of the machine, when the direction ofoperation is to change.

The apparatus, which the carriage is designed to carry, is mounted on arectangular bed 25 formed of lengths of channel welded together at thecorner At each end it is welded to the side channels 26, the upper endsof which are welded to a cross channel 2l, to form what may be calledhangers for the bed. The tube i3, forming the hub body of the endframes, is bored out and tted with a loose bushing 28, to receivetubular trunnions 29 which extend through the hubs and through shortpieces of tubing 30, welded at openings in the cross channels 27 of thehangers.

Each trunnion is held in place by three circular clamps 3|, which may beset up by bolts 32.

The trunnion 29 at the right in Fig. 2, is longer than the other, and adrum 33 is welded to its outer end.

In the Welding machine, here illustrated, the apparatus mounted on thebed 25 includes a six cylinder internal combustion engine 34developingapproximately 50 I-I. P., and driving a three hundred amperegenerator 35 through two universals 36 and a shaft 31. The engine fitsdirectly onto the side pieces of the bed (rubber mounting and the likeexcluded) but the generator is suspended by its legs 38 from arches 39formed by pieces of channel welded together and to the sides of the bed25. One of these arches forms a mounting for a frame 40, carrying theinstru- ,ment panel, etc., and is in a convenient position for theoutlet cables 4| to be led through the hollow trunnion at the right andwound on the drum 33. The hanger at the left, in Figs. 1 and 2, isextended above the trunnion and fitted with straps 42 to support a fueltank 43.

Each end frame is equipped with a length of cable 44 (Fig. 4) fixed toan eye 45 and a hook 46, adapted to engage one of the rails 41 of thetrack, when the machine is to be rolled to one side to clear a train.

This operation is well illustrated in Fig. Il,v Where the solid lineposition shows the machine upright on the track, and the dotted lineposition shows it rolled, to the left side, with the cable Yi4 limitingits movement in that direction.

When the train is past, the machine can be readily rolled to the rightand made to assume its original position, as shown in solid lines. Thecable 44 and hook 46 then form a sort of fulcrum to assist in bringingthe Wheels l5 back to the rail 41.

Other cables 48, fixed to the same eyes 45 and pulled by hand or asuitable windlass, may be used to assist in returning the machine toworking position.

In such heavy machines as theY ones shownV in Figs. l, 2 and 3, and justdescribed, it is also convenient to use the available power for rollingit onto and ofi the track. This is accomplished here by mounting a 32volt 11/2 H. P. motor 49 (Figs. 1 and 2) on a plate 50, welded totheapparatus bed 25 and connecting the motor with the generator 35 bycables 5l.

A double reduction Worm gearing 52 is driven by the motor 49 through abelt 53 and drives a pinion 54, meshing with a gear 55, Welded to theside pieces I9. As here shown, the gear includes an outer channel hoop56 and an inner channel hoop 51, tted with bolts 58, which form theteeth of the gear. The pinion 54 is loose on the shaft 59, and hasopenings. to receive pins 6U, carried by a clutch disk' 'l, keyed to theshaft 59 and shifted back and forth by a collar 6-2 threaded to the endof the shaft 59.

The reduction gearing is of a commercial form, enclosed within a casingwhich is bolted on a rectangular frame 63 which, in turn, is bolted toplates 54 welded to the side of the apparatus bed.

Assuming the clutch to be engaged and the engine running, the motor 49is switched on and drives the pinion 54 which, in effect, causes theswinging apparatus bed to climb. up the gear 55 and, in so doing, itcauses the main frame to roll in the corresponding direction.

Since the motor I9 must be reversed to return the machine to itsoriginal position, the reversing switch 65 is mounted on the outer endof the left trunnion` 29, in Figs. 1 and 2, and the necessary wires: areled through the trunmon.

The clutch is provided for the emergency that would arise should theengine stop, or something else cause a power failure in which case thestrength of the entire crew would hardly be sufficient to move themachine unless the pinion 54 could be released.

In making embodiments. for other machines the size, shape and generalarrangement will, of course, be varied to suit. the conditions, but thegeneral features here disclosed are applicable to all. When pneumatic orhydraulic apparatus is on the bed, the hose should be led out throughthe hollow trunnions, as the cables 4I are in the instant illustration,to avoid injury or tangling when the machine is rolled oi or onto thetrack.

In very heavy machines' Where the power necessary to roll the main frameis likely to cause a distortion when the single pinion is used,arrangement diagrammatically illustrated in Fig. 6 may be resorted to.In this instance there is a large gear 65 at each end meshing Withapinion B1 on a shaft 68, driven by a motor 69 through reduction gearing10. Duplicating the drive at each end equalizes they force applied andpreventsA distortion.

Where the apparatus to be carried is light, a lighter and more wieldycarriage can be made by using tubing instead of channels or othercommercial shapes. In such a case the rim of each end frame is made bybending a tube to form a circular hoop 1|, and welding its endstogether, then welding the tubular spokes 12 to the rim at their outerends, and to plates 13 and a tube 14 at their inner ends. The end framesare connected by tubular side pieces 15, two of which are supplementedby wheel frames 15 'for the wheels 11.

The apparatus bed 18 is fabricated to suit the conditions and issupported from the tubes 14, as before described.

I claim as my invention2 l l. In a roadway machine, a main framecomprising side pieces connecting spaced end frames, each having acircular loop and braces connecting the loop with a center bearing,flanged wheels aligned lengthwise to the main frame to bear it on arail, trunnions journaled in the center bearings, one being hollow,hangers depending from the trunnions, an apparatus bed carried by thehangers, apparatus on the bed, and a cable extending from the apparatusthrough the hollow trunnions.

2. In a roadway machine, a hollow rounded frame, wheels carried intandem by the frame for engaging one rail of a railroad track andsupporting the trame thereon, additional supporting means carried by theframe for stabilizing the machine on the track, and an apparatus bedsuspended within the frame for rotating about a horizontal axisrelatively to the frame whereby the frame may roll transversely to theplane oi the tandem wheels and about the bed.

3. In a roadway machine, a main frame comprising rounded end frames andconnecting side pieces', wheels carried in tandem by the frameforengaging one rail of a railroad track and supporting the frame thereon,additional supporting means carried by the frame for stabilizing themachine on the track, an apparatus bed, and means suspending the bedbetween the end frames for relative rotation about the axis of the endframes.

4. In a roadway machine, a main frame comprising side pieces and spacedend frames connected by the side pieces, each end frame including asubstantially circular loop, a central bearing and braces connecting theloop with the bearing, wheels carried in tandem by the frame forengaging one rail of a railroad track and supporting the frame thereon,additional supporting means carried by the frame for stabilizing themachine on the track, an apparatus bed, and hangers suspending the bedfrom the central bearings.

5. In a roadway machine, a hollow rounded frame, wheels carried intandem by the frame for engaging one rail of a railroad track andsupporting the frame thereon, additional supporting means carried by theframe for stabilizing the machine on the track, an apparatus bedsuspended Within the frame for relative rotation about a horizontalaxis, gearing connecting the bed and frame, and means to rotate theframe about the bed.

6. In a roadway machine, a main frame comprising rounded end frames andconnecting side pieces, Wheels carried in tandem by the frame forengaging one rail of a railroad track and supporting the frame thereon,additional supporting means carried by the frame for stabilizing themachine on the track, an apparatus bed, means to swing the bed betweenthe end frames for relative rotation about the axis of the end frames,

to drive the gearing and power means to rotate the frame about the bed.

7. In a roadway machine, a hollow rounded frame, wheels carried intandem by the frame for engaging one rail of a railroad track andsupporting the frame thereon, additional supporting means carried by theframe for stabilizing the machine on the track, an apparatus bedsuspended within the frame for relative rotation about a horizontal axiswhereby the frame may roll transversely to the path of the Wheels andabout the bed, a reversible motor on the bed, and gearing driven by themotor to rotate the main frame.

8. In a roadway machine, a main frame comprising side pieces and spacedend frames connected by the side pieces, each end frame including asubstantially circular loop, a central bearing and braces connecting theloop with the bearing, wheels carried in tandem by the frame forengaging one rail of a railroad track and supporting the frame thereon,additional supporting means carried by the frame for stabilizing themachine on the track, trunnions journaled in the center bearings,hangers depending from the trunnions, and an apparatus bed carried bythe hangers.

9. In a roadway machine, a main frame comprising rounded end frames andconnecting side pieces, wheels carried in tandem by the frame forengaging one rail of a railroad track and supporting the frame thereon,additional supporting means carried by the frame for stabilizing themachine n the track, an apparatus bed, means suspending the bed betweenthe end frames for relative rotation about a horizontal axis, an engineon the bed, a generator driven by the engine, a motor receiving currentfrom the generator, and reduction gearing driven by the motor forrotating the main frame about the apparatus bed.

10. In a roadway machine, a main frame comprising side pieces and spacedend frames connected by the side pieces, each end frame including acircular channel, a central bearing, and braces connecting the charmeland bearing, wheels carried in tandem by the frame for engaging one railof a railroad track and supporting the frame thereon, additionalsupporting means carried by the frame for stabilizing the machine on thetrack, an apparatus bed, and hangers swinging the bed from the centralbearmgs.

MARTIN D. BOWEN.

